Spirit on The Water
by Rosabelle Meave Sterling
Summary: When the brothers investigate suspicious drownings near Boston where the bodies are never found, just their clothes on the beach, the brothers start thinking there's something fishy going on. They may have to watch out or they'll be in for a watery grave enthralled by songs from the deep.
1. Chapter 1

Boston, Mass. Three Weeks Ago.

Sitting on the deck of the sail boat Chris Downing looked up at the stars. Ever since he was young his father had taken him out sailing and told him the stories of the deep. The one he favored the most was the one of a race of people that lived under the waves. It was said that if you were to hear the song of one of the maidens, that you might soon meet your death. He had been fascinated by the stories of the people under the waves since he heard the story for the first time. Every night he would sit on the beach and wait to see one of the people break through the waves and sing.

His best friend Matt came on the deck with him and started clearing away the gear they had left out from their dive earlier that day. Chris looked out across the water and saw something jump out of the water. He jumped up and ran to the railing, trying to see the thing again. Matt walked over to him and said, "Chris, you're imagining things. Mermaids aren't real."

"They are Matt. Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean they aren't," Chris said defensively. He returned his gaze to the horizon as his friend pulled his red ball cap down on his head and turned towards the stern of the boat. He walked to the back and as he looked down over the railing, sitting on the platform they used to get ready to dive from was a woman with long blonde hair and seaweed braided into it. She turned around and said, "Hello there. Would you like to come with me?"

Matt stood there awe-stricken. The woman smiled and started to sing softly to him. "My name is Lorelei. Come with me back to my home Matt, I need you," she said seductively. Matt leaned forward and the woman grabbed his collar and quickly pulled him under the glassy, blue-green surface.

Chris turned around to see his friend gone. He had heard a sound from the back of the boat and went to go investigate it. He looked down and Matt's ball cap rise up from the bottom of the water. He leaned down and grabbed it out of the water. He looked up as he heard a voice rising from the depths of the ocean. A face looked at him through the water and as it broke the surface the maiden said, "Come with me my little mackerel. I've seen you before out here. Come with me, back to my home." Chris was so excited that he was finally talking with the creature he wanted to meet that he agreed and she pulled him beneath the waves.

_**oOo**_

Present Day Boston

"Sam what are we doing in Boston?" Dean asked agitated. He sat on the hood of the '67 black Chevy Impala, eating the burger he had just bought from the diner beside him. He looked out into the harbor and scoffed. Sam looked at his brother and asked, "What? You said you wanted a job and I think I found something here."

Dean looked at his brother, rolled his eyes and said, "What'd you find?"

Sam flipped the newspaper around and showed Dean the circled obituaries. Dean took the paper in one hand, the other holding the half eaten burger. One obituary read,

"In loving memory of Chris Downing, who died from drowning while doing the thing he loved most, exploring the ocean. A sailor from the age of three, he loved the ocean and its secrets. He graduated from Cornell's marine biology program and worked at the New England Aquarium. He leaves behind his mother Janet and his father Michael Downing. May his soul rest in peace."

"So we're here to investigate a drowning?" Dean said sarcastically.

"Well, they never found the bodies, only articles of clothing on the beach. So something must be going on," Sam replied defensively. Dean sighed and finished his burger. Sam read an article on his computer and once Dean was finished he threw his trash away, got into the driver's seat and started to turn the engine over. Sam packed his things and got into the passenger seat and they sped down to the nearest motel. Once settled into the room, they grabbed their gear and head to the marina where the police had taken Chris Downing's boat. They flashed fake FBI badges and the manager let them through. On the dock was a beautiful raven haired girl tending to a boat. She looked back and saw the two men staring at her so she stood up and walked towards them.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked her voice melodious and inviting. Dean smiled and said suavely, "Yes you can."

She smiled, giggled, and blushed a bit. She cleared her throat and said, "Well, what can I do for you?"

"You can-" Dean started to say but was cut off by his brother saying, "Whose boat is that you were tending to?"

"Oh that? It's one of the Aquarium's. I work there and I tend to the boat when I take her out. This reminds me, I need to get back to work. Would you like to walk me back? I can answer your questions while we walk," she stated clearly. She then went back to the end of the dock, grabbed her purse, walked past the brothers, and waved at the marina manager who waved back pleasantly. She beckoned the boys to follow and Dean did so willingly. Sam on the other hand looked very apprehensive about the woman.

When the brothers reached her she extended her hand and said with a southern drawl, "My name is Nikki. And you two are?"

"That's Sam, and I'm yours," Dean said smoothly. Nikki laughed and it sounded like wind chimes tinkling in the air. "Can I get a name so I can put a collar on you that reads, 'Property of Nikki' on it?"

Sam chuckles as Dean's smile fades a little. "His name is Dean and we're here to figure out what happened to-"

"Chris and Matt. I figured that's why you're here. They worked with me and were like my brothers. Chris was infatuated with legends of the oceans and myths of creatures and all sorts of things like that. That's what he would do every time he was able to take the boat out, he'd be searching for those creatures. None of us had the heart to break his boyish fantasy because he'd had it for so long. He was a sweet boy and Matt never let him out of his sight. Matt was almost like a babysitter for Chris whenever he'd go on those silly expeditions. Mattie would always keep him in line, bring him up when he thought Chris would need air, and he'd always listen to Chris' ravings about, well, creatures," Nikki explained as she walked down the sidewalk towards the building where she worked. She was wringing her hands nervously and Sam noticed it. Dean was too enamored by the way she looked and walked to notice anything else.

"Is something bothering you Nikki?" Sam asked quizzically.

"Oh no, I always wring my hands. It's just a habit. It keeps me from playing with my hair," she explained. She looked up at the building and said, "If you want to come in you can come and look around the two offices. I can get you in if you'd like."

Sam and Dean smiled and she led them into the building. The ticket clerk looked at her and she said, "They're with me Bryan. I'll make sure they don't cause trouble." The clerk smiled and nodded, allowing them entrance into the aquarium. Sam and Dean looked around the enormous building and saw the different aquariums in the room. The fish and other animals would swim by and look at the two men. Nikki walked over to one tank and the fish gravitated towards her. She laid her hand upon the glass and smiled. She then flicked her wrist, sending the scaly creatures away. She then motioned to Sam and Dean to follow her through a door that was marked 'Authorized Personnel Only'. They followed her down the hallway and she turned a corner to lead them to the offices. Passing by a desk she grabbed two passes and halted in front of them. "Put these on and you'll be allowed anywhere in the aquarium. Just, don't get into trouble because then it will be my tail on the line," She said quietly. The two men took the passes and tacked them onto the suit jackets they were wearing. She then tilted her head towards two doors and said, "Those two offices are Mattie and Chris'. No one's been in them because we can't bear to go in and move their things. They loved it here and loved working with everyone. It's a shame to see them leave us so early, but at least they went doing something they love."

Dean moved closer to Nikki and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Sam rolled his eyes as Dean smiled a bit and said sincerely, "We're sorry for your loss." She smiled and said, "Thank you. Now, I need to check our big ocean aquarium. You two can peruse the offices but, please don't mess anything up."

With that she left and the boys went about their business. Dean smiled the entire time and said, "So, what do you think of her?"

"I think she's a little strange. I mean, don't you feel something's wrong with her or that she's possibly to do with the thing we're hunting?" Sam asked incredulously.

Dean's head shot up, he looked at his brother and said, "Don't you say that Sammy. She's a nice girl. She's even let us check out the offices and given us access to the aquarium so we can see if they had anything funny going on somewhere else." He continued to rummage through the papers in the files. Sam was taken aback from his brother's outburst. Dean wasn't normally that protective of girls he just met. This woman was strange.


	2. Chapter 2

As night fell Nikki walked to the beach near the pier where she had met Dean and Sam earlier that day. She stepped into a bathroom and changed into her swimsuit which she always kept in her purse. She smiled and then left the lavatory to walk down onto the sand. She dropped her bag on the beach and walked down to the water. There stood one woman, a redhead. Nikki walked up to the woman who turned around to face her. The redhead smiled and stated sweetly, "Thessaloniki, what is wrong?"

"Ianthe, it is good to see you,"

Ianthe smiled and replied, "It is good to see you as well. I don't understand why you couldn't join us last time. They were wonderful."

Nikki tilted her head and looked at Ianthe. She then spoke very cautiously, "What do you mean last time? I was not informed of a meeting. What happened?"

Flustered Ianthe stepped back and said quickly, "We found two men. Lori said she told you and that you declined the invitation. She went ahead and took them, saying we needed it. Please don't hurt me. I didn't know."

"Those were my friends! She killed my friends and the others that I specifically told her not to. That girl is causing ripples and I won't stand for it. Ianthe, I want you to tell her to meet me in two days. Hopefully then I'll have gotten rid of the two nuisances. Now go!" Nikki commanded. The redhead bowed and ran down the beach. Nikki turned away and headed back up to her bag. She had the sinking feeling she was being watched. Lucky for her, no one would understand what had just transpired due to a certain language barrier. She smiled at the thought, stopped, turned around and ran full tilt back towards the water. She dove into the waves and let the water caress her skin.

_**oOo**_

"Dean wake up," Sam said shoving his brother's shoulder. Dean woke with a start and looked at his brother, eyes still cloudy with sleep and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sam turned the TV volume up more as a live video streams across the screen of the beach where a man had disappeared last night. Dean looked at the TV and asked, "What does this have to do with anything? So somebody disappeared at the beach. Things like that happen all the time."

"They found his clothes. They were on the surface of the ocean and had washed up onto shore. Dean something weird is going on."

"Maybe it's a shark attack. Let's head back to the aquarium and ask the scientist," Dean said smiling. With that he jumped from the bed and proceeded to get ready. Sam hung his head and listened to the interview with the man's friend who had seen him go swimming.

"There was this eerie music. It was a wonderful melody but there wasn't a radio in sight. I wanted to go in there with him but I said I needed to get home. Bill went on into the water saying the music was from behind the boats moored out there. He thought somebody might be partying or something so he went to help them. I didn't see any signs of a party going on so I thought he was just crazy following that music."

Sam looked through the old beat up journal to see if there was anything in it that could tell him what they were going after here. He couldn't find a thing but he had a feeling that Nikki might know what's going on, more than just what the news is saying. When Dean was ready they drove to the Aquarium and bought admission tickets. They then entered the building and headed for the information desk. Once they reached it Dean smiled at the girl sitting there and asked, "Is Nikki in yet?"

The girl smiled at him and said, "Dr. Naida? She's here. Do you have a meeting?"

"We were here yesterday. We have some more questions for her about an article we're writing about the aquarium. Can we see her?" Sam interjects.

The girl looks at the computer and said after typing a bit, "She's on her way out to the research vessel. She's taking a group of interns out so they can do their dive. I'll see if she can bring you two with her."

Dean smiled and said, "Thank you."

She giggled and spoke into the mouth piece of the phone, "Dr. Naida? There are two men here they said they were with you yesterday. They were wondering if you could answer a few more questions. Yes I understand you're about to go out. Yes. I'll get them to you. Thank you ma'am. Yeah-huh. I'll see you shortly."

She hung up the phone, stood up, walked around to the door, and then motioned the boys to follow her. The Winchester brothers followed the receptionist out through a hallway into the sunlight. She walked them down the sidewalk to a large group of people. In the center stood the raven haired woman in the bleached white lab coat that they had come to know as Nikki. She stood there arms raised above her head trying to get the group of interns under control. She finally gave up talking calmly, put her thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistled. The sound was loud and piercing, allowing her to gain control. The group quieted down and she looked at the brothers and the receptionist.

"You two aren't sea sick are you?" Nikki called to them. Dean looked at Sam and they shrugged their shoulders. "We've never been on a boat," Sam confessed. Nikki laughed and Dean smiled wide like a giddy school boy who had a crush on his teacher. Nikki waved them down the dock, turned to her class, and walked them all onto the large boat. She got up to the helm and turned the key over starting the engine. The vessel roared to life and one of the students untied to ropes that held the boat to the pier. Nikki looked around and saw that the channel was empty and guided the boat out into the ocean.

As they crossed from the brackish water of the harbor to the salty water of the ocean Nikki explained what organisms they would find. When she had steered the boat to the correct spot, she lowered the anchor and divided the students into groups. Each student put on a wet suit, mask, air tank, flippers, and grabbed a kit to take down for samples and information. Nikki walked to Sam and Dean and said, "You two want to go for a swim? I think it can be arranged."

Dean laughed and looked at Sam whose face was stern and questioning his brother's sanity it seemed. "No thank you. We wanted to learn about what your friend was doing out with this boat the night he disappeared."

Nikki rolled her eyes and scoffed. "He and Matt were out searching for mermaids. Chris was obsessed with them ever since he was young. His father said he had seen one and he wanted to find her again. Chris took up his quest when the doctors told his father that he could no longer go out to sea or dive. So Chris made a living here at the aquarium and whenever he could, he'd take out this boat and Matt would help him in his failing search for mermaids."

Dean laughed and said, "Mermaids? Everyone knows mermaids aren't real."

Nikki smiled, turned away, and quietly muttered, "Sure, mermaids aren't real. But how would you explain their disappearance, the man that disappeared last night, and the two that disappeared a month ago, and the others that have gone missing."

"What did you say?" Sam asked hearing her mutterings.

"Excuse me? Did I say something? Oh, I just babble on about nothing in particular. Sorry," Nikki covered quickly. She smiled at Sam and thought to herself, _His brother is enthralled by me as most men are. Why isn't this one? _Dean walked over at that exact moment and ushered Sam away. Dean then watched Nikki walk to the railing and wait for her students to surface.

"So, you seem at ease on the ocean," Dean said noticing her relaxed demeanor where the students had been almost terrified.

"They don't wanna disappear like Chris and Matt. I offered to take them out and get them used to the ocean. But they have a right to be afraid Dean, everyone here has that right. I'm not afraid because I love the ocean so much that if I were to set sail and be swallowed I'd be free and at home. My interns call me 'The Queen of the Ocean' because I can navigate my way through anything and be at home with the ocean. Nothing down there scares me and it shouldn't. The ocean is my home. Here I feel free and alive, on land, I feel confined and constricted. Matt used to say I have the spirit of a fish, to just swim and feel free. Chris for a time thought I was a mermaid but he lost that hope when he never saw scales appear on my hands when he poured water on me in the summer," Nikki explained.

"So what do you think happened to Chris and Matt?" Dean asked, leaning one elbow on the rail and resting his head on his hand and allowing the other arm to fall at his side.

"To be honest, I think Chris found what he was searching for, and it was the death of him," Nikki replied deadpan expression and fear in her eyes. Not the fear that it would happen to her, but the fear of something else. Dean watched her and said, "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not the one you should be looking out for. Take care of yourself and your brother. I looked through Chris's journals about mermaids. They occasionally eat humans and if they do then they are men because they can get two things out of their meal," Nikki informed him. She turned away and Dean quickly followed her.

"How did you-"

"Know you were here because of something like that? Why else would you show me a badge and ask to look at the boat. You would have just served a warrant and commandeered the boat then not had anything to do with me," Nikki explained plainly. Dean smiled and said, "I don't know what it is but I love listening to you talk."

Nikki laughed and said, "That's the first time I've heard that line."

"Do you sing?" Dean asked, deep in the throes of her charms. She didn't mean for him to get caught because she didn't need a relationship right now. Nikki looked Dean in the eyes and said, "I do, but only if the people wish to hear their last song."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean people don't hear anything after I sing," Nikki explained, bending over to grab rope and place it in a box. She looked down over the side to see a group of students waiting for her approval. She looked at everything they handed her and told them to get better samples.

"You must have a lovely voice though. I can't imagine why people would go deaf listening to you," Dean stated oblivious to the hidden fact. Nikki sighed, grateful that he only thought they'd be deaf and said sweetly, "You're lucky you're a cute clam. Now, let's finish this cruise and after we dock, how about dinner? My place?"

Dean smiled wide and replied, "Sure. Eight o'clock?"

"Wonderful," Nikki said tenderly, resting her hand on his chest. Out of the corner of her eye she saw flaming red and golden blonde hair under the surface of the water. She turned to look and the colors disappeared just as suddenly as they had shown up with only a slight bit of sea foam on the top.


End file.
